New Delhi, March 06, 2017: The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has organized NSE Stock Market Closing Bell ceremony on Monday, March 6, 2017, on the eve of International Women’s Day on March 8, in an effort to raise awareness about the importance of gender equality, as a critical UN sustainable development goal (SDG).

In celebration of International Women’s Day (8 March 2017), 43 stock exchanges around the world, including NSE, would join the Sustainable Stock Exchanges initiative, UN Global Compact, UN Women, the International Finance Corporation, World Federation of Exchanges, and Women in ETFs, to ring the bell for gender equality.

The aim is to have stock exchanges across the globe, ring their bell to draw attention to the critical role business and stock exchanges can and should play in closing the gender inequality gap.

This would be followed by the Leadership Roundtable- "Gender Equality in India: Taking stock of where we are and what more needs to be done" with participation from Ms Aisha De Sequeira, Co-Country Head and Head of Investment Banking, Morgan Stanley, Ms Shanti Ekambaram, President- Consumer Banking, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Ms Radhika Gupta, CEO, Edelweiss Asset Management, Ms Bala Deshpande, Senior Managing Director, New Enterprise Associates and Ms Mallika Ghosh, Executive Director, Parinaam Foundation.

Mr J Ravichandran, CEO-in-charge, NSE said: ’’The private sector enterprises in India are increasingly recognizing the benefits of gender equality. However, women across the globe are still facing inequality in pay parity, education and appointments for senior leadership roles. Exchanges across the globe can and must play a critical role of closing the gender equality gap.’’

He further added ‘’NSE is a signatory to the Sustainable stock exchanges initiative and committed to the cause of gender equality. The Indian and global economy continue to strive towards UNCTAD’s gender equality and Sustainable development goals’’

NSE Initiatives on Women Empowerment & Gender Equality

NSE has 34% of Women Employees in its entire workforce, with 30% representation on its Board.

NSE organizes training programs for directorial skills and also facilitates on boarding of new female directors, with assistance from other board members. NSE encourages its issuer companies to go beyond the legal mandate and have more than one woman director.

NSE also encourages its listed companies to have women representation on the board of directors. Nifty 50 and Nifty Next 50 companies have 13.5% representation of women directors and Nifty 200 companies have 13% women directors.

NSE’s gender equality policies are so conducive that 84% of the mothers return to work at the exchange. NSE offers Flexible work options, maternity leave policy that incorporates 3-month extension with benefits covered and maternity bonus which is paid after employee resumes work.

NSE is developing online and focus group trainings to create awareness and sensitization to sexual harassment across the board, and till date, no sexual harassment complaint has been registered.

About National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE):
NSE is a recognised stock exchange in India and the fourth largest in the world by equity trading volume in 2015, according to the World Federation of Exchanges. It began operations in 1994 and has been ranked as the largest stock exchange in India, in terms of total and average daily turnover for equity shares every year since 1995, based on SEBI annual reports.

NSE has a fully-integrated business model comprising exchange listings, trading services, clearing and settlement services, indices, market data feeds, technology solutions and financial education offerings. NSE also oversees compliance by trading and clearing members with the rules and regulations of the exchange. NSE is a pioneer in technology and ensures the reliability and performance of its systems, through a culture of innovation and investment in technology. NSE believes that the scale and breadth of its products and services, sustained leadership positions across multiple asset classes in India and globally and its integrated business model enables it to be highly reactive to market demands and changes and deliver innovation in both trading and non-trading businesses to provide high-quality data and services to market participants and clients.